There is good news and bad news.
For those of us trying to follow Jesus lets be honest it’s not always easy. Some of us have good days and bad days. Days we feel like we are doing ok and days we know we have a lot to live up to. I know many of us wrestle with worth and worthiness. So often an overwhelming feeling of total inadequacy and unworthiness clouds our perspectives and hangs like a dark cloud over our horizons.
The bad news I am afraid is we’re not wrong. It’s not a lie.
I am afraid we in ourselves are not worthy. The apostle Paul is clear when he writes “There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3 – 22 v 23). All of us have done stuff we know in reality has disappointed our glorious, righteous Father in Heaven. We have all messed up, every single one of us, even those who look so perfect. Sure we look around at people in Church and we think they’ve got things sorted, but the truth is we are all works in progress and some of us are better a faking it than others.
The good news is there is good news!
If we look at the whole of the passage the above verse is from we find news that like the brilliant sunshine of summer (although living in Northern Ireland it is only a distant memory) burns away the foreboding clouds colouring our perspectives. “But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3 21 – 26). The wonderful glorious news is that even though we are not worthy, despite all of our junk, hangups and disappointments in His generosity, love and grace He has made a way, He has made us worthy.
He made a way that through Him we are worthy. The point is it isn’t something we have to do, its not something we can do. We don’t have to and can’t earn His love because He is love. We don’t have to and can’t make our own way out, because He is the way. And we don’t have to and can’t make ourselves worthy because He is worthy. It doesn’t have to be a mind battle. Sometime ago I decided to admit my failings and get on with life, “yep I’m not worthy, but that’s not the point, He still invited me to be part of His family anyway” I’ve not stopped striving to be more like Christ but I have stopped wallowing in self pity because I’ve fallen short of Christ. His grace is a beautiful thing that has freed me from condemnation but empowered me to act on conviction.
The Christian world is a daunting place, so many high profile figures are torn to shreds when their junk hits the fan, fitting in so often means looking the part or saying the right things and so many use gossip to divert attention from their own failings. So much of what we see in Christendom highlights humanities struggle with grace, forgiveness and mercy and for many it manifests as that gnawing feeling that we might be too far gone and the exception to God’s love, grace and forgiveness. Whilst we have been created in His image none of that ugly side of human behaviour reflects God’s heart or character, I love how the Psalmist David describes our Father in Heaven in Psalm 103:
Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbour his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.
It’s beautiful and long may the beauty of His grace, mercy and forgiveness colour our perspective. May we never allow our junk, hangups and disappointments come between us and our Father in Heaven because He didn’t.